Track

Session 1

Session 2

Leadership

Designed for a seasoned or aspiring leader looking to climb the ladder and shatter the glass ceiling

Session 1

10:00 am – 11:00 am

Courageous Innovation™: Innovating in Your Organization, Your Team and Your Career (POE)

How do some companies innovate quickly and easily while others struggle with slow moving decisions and missed market opportunities? After over 5,000 interviews across organizations in all industries and from around the globe, results reveal the defining characteristic of successfully innovating cultures is Courage. How do organizations create courageous cultures and ignite the innovation within teams? How do we as leaders create courageous innovation within our work groups and our own careers? We’ll explore the answer to these questions and others through this provocative session with women who have created innovation both within their organizations and in their careers.

How do some companies innovate quickly and easily while others struggle with slow moving decisions and missed market opportunities? After over 5,000 interviews across organizations in all industries and from around the globe, results reveal the defining characteristic of successfully innovating cultures is Courage. How do organizations create courageous cultures and ignite the innovation within teams? How do we as leaders create courageous innovation within our work groups and our own careers? We’ll explore the answer to these questions and others through this provocative session with women who have created innovation both within their organizations and in their careers.

Survey results of over 100,000 in-depth interviews of men and women executives in over 60 Fortune 500 companies reveal the staggering number of false assumptions and opinions men and women have of each other, and in many ways, believe in themselves. No wonder we face such a tremendous communication gap in the workplace. What cause these misunderstandings, miscommunications, mistrust, resentment, and frustrations at work? Relationship and communications guru John Gray will share insight to answer these questions and identify the 8 blind spots that compel men and women to think and act as they do. Learn practical advice so you can remove the blind spots enabling men and women to work and succeed together. We will explore ways to bridge the communication gap to improve your problem solving, decision-making, conflict resolution, stress management and overall leadership effectiveness. Unlock this and advance your leadership position!

Co- Speakers:Barbara Annis, best-selling author, Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots Between Men and Women in Business

John Gray, best-selling author, Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus and Work with Me: The 8 Blind Spots Between Men and Women in Business

When women are empowered to lead and given the tools and support to do so, they make choices that change history. Why is it then that women are not compensated to reflect our power? Why is it that even in today’s age, U.S. women make 77 cents for every dollar a man takes home on average? In this interactive session, leaders and negotiations experts will share how we can lead the charge to help women achieve pay equity. Attendees will hear from senior executives from leading area companies who are taking concrete and public steps to address these issues and also share tools to help you become a powerful and confident asker. By sharing today’s most successful negotiation strategies, attendees will learn how to monetize your strengths and potential and own your value – not only in your paycheck but by the position you hold.

Thought Leader:Gloria Feldt, New York Times best-selling author, and co-founder and president, Take the Lead

Career Advancement

Designed for the mid/senior level professional with significant experience looking for advice around professional skills and job advancement

Session 1

10:00 am – 11:00 am

Communicating Effectively for Inclusion: How to Go From Well Meaning to Doing (W)

We have all had those moments when we feel like we have communicated something carefully, only to be met with blank stares or even worse, ruffled feathers. In this session, Verná Myers, a nationally recognized expert and author of Moving Diversity Forward, will teach us how to go from well-meaning to well-doing in our efforts to communicate inclusively. From race to gender to generation, Myers brings a wealth of knowledge about effective communication strategies.

Strategize to Win: The New Way to Start Out, Step Up or Start Over in Your Career (W)

Whether we’re starting out, striving toward a promotion, or looking for a new opportunity, the working world isn’t what it used to be. Wall Street veteran Carla Harris knows this, and will offer you the tools you need to get started; get “unstuck” from bad situations; redirect momentum; and position yourself to manage your careers no matter the environment. With her trademark galvanizing advice, Harris will clarify issues that are often murky and help you to:

– Identify and make the most of your work profile (are you a Good Soldier? a Leader? an Arguer?);
– Prepare for a career change without going back to school or taking a step down:
– Hone three essential skills industry leaders possess (and how to get them);
– Tune into unspoken cues; and
– Thrive through change.

This interactive workshop will provide step-by-step tools to launch and sustain a successful career – ultimately helping you to move forward, recover from setbacks and position yourself for success.

Your QUANTUM LEAP: How & Now!! (LP)

Gloria Mayfield Banks has consistently beaten the odds to achieve phenomenal success in her life and business. She defied Dyslexia to earn a college degree and a Harvard MBA, left an abusive marriage and a corporate career at IBM 20 years ago to sell lipstick – quickly ascending to Elite Executive National Sales Director with Mary Kay, Inc. Over her career with Mary Kay, Inc., Banks has broken company sales records, including largest personal team, largest unit, and largest national unit – her performance ranks as #3 in the United States and #1 for an African American. Using her first-hand experiences, Gloria will share invaluable lessons that she learned for persevering and share 10 specific steps for making a QUANTUM LEAP in life and at work. With a mix of inspiration and practical advice, this session will help you shift your thinking to create different results for you and those you lead. Attendees will walk away ready to break records and set new standards to create the best life for you while always remaining true to who you are!

Secrets for Winning at Work: The Handbook for Emerging Professionals and Career Success (POE)

It’s not easy to enter the workforce today. For the first time in history, four generations are sharing the workplace — and sometimes it feels like they are living in four different worlds. Designed for Millennials and newer professionals entering or re-entering the workforce, this session will help you navigate the workforce and build a meaningful career. Featuring generations relations and leadership expert Lisa Orrell, this session will offer practical advice to help you create a personal action plan for career success. Silicon Valley’s most inspiration millennial leaders will share their real-life experiences to offer best practices and lessons learned around:

– Building a positive relationship with your manager;

– How to accept constructive feedback; and

– Ways to obtain and create the career opportunities best suited for you

CAREER ADVANCEMENT TRACK:

Promote Yourself: The New Rules for Career Success (POE)

How people perceive you or your product is vital to success. Now with the Internet, social media and the unrelenting hum of 24/7 business, the ability to brand and promote effectively has become absolutely essential. No matter how talented you are, it doesn’t matter unless managers can see those talents and think of you as an invaluable employee, a game-changing manager or the person whose name is synonymous with success. No matter how cool your product may be, it doesn’t matter unless customers can see its value and open their wallets! Branding expert Dan Schawbel and a panel of real-life professionals will share intimate details of their wins and losses to teach you how to create your unique and impactful brand. Learn how to promote yourself or your product and create a powerful message so that you stand out, get ahead and build the career you want!

Thought Leader:Dan Schawbel, managing partner, Millennial Branding and New York Times and Wall Street Journal best-selling author, Promote Yourself: The New Rules For Career Success

Personal Development

Offering expertise for maneuvering career and life transitions

Session 1

10:00 am – 11:00 am

Breaking Through: How to Overcome Fears, Inertia, Gender Bias and Other Obstacles (POE)

What holds women back and why? While we’ve made great strides in achieving positions of leadership in many fields, we still lag behind our male peers for several reasons. This session will explore those reasons, including the barriers we may be unknowingly placing on ourselves. In this candid discussion featuring women who’ve experienced many types of barriers and biases, attendees will take away strategies to identify and overcome what’s holding you back.

Are you looking to start a second career but nervous about what to do? Have you been in finance for a decade and scared to change industries but desperately need a change? Do you want to retire but fear the uncertainty of the extra hours in a day? Are you scared to leave the stability of corporate America to fulfill your inner entrepreneur? Have you taken years off to care for your family and worry about reentering and managing the demands of a fast-paced workplace? Are you scared of heights but desperately want to rock climb? Taking risks and stepping outside of your comfort zone can be stressful, challenging and downright scary! Fear isn’t an end point though; it’s a point of entry to a life of incomparable joy. Join this panel of leaders who will share their real-life experiences to help you navigate your fears and find your life calling. Together we will share their experiences and lessons learned while becoming brave. Attendees will leave with practical advice for overcoming their fears, taking risks and successfully taking the plunge and making a transition personally or professionally.

Thought Leader:Jill Abramson, first woman to serve as Washington bureau chief, managing editor and executive editor of The New York Times

Personal Development

This session won’t focus on cutting all the carbohydrates out of your diet; or replacing every single gram of sugar with omega-3 fatty acids; or urging you to do one hundred sit-ups a day, or getting on the treadmill whenever you have a free second. In fact, it’s not about any of the total lifestyle-replacement gimmicks—whether diet, exercise, or pop psychology—that have swept our culture in recent years, putting untold millions of Americans on the risky roller coaster of success and failure that defines fad diets and programs. Small Changes, Big Results is about reality—the reality of what you can do, the reality of what you want to do, and the reality of what works. This interactive session will explore how you can introduce a series of small changes each week for the next three months in the three core areas of diet and nutrition; exercise and fitness; and emotional wellness. Learn how you can implement a practical action plan with incredibly doable tasks each week that will have you yield optimal results and achieve both physical and emotional wellness.

When it comes to aging, most of us understand how to keep our bodies healthy and fit, but few of us know where to begin when it comes to taking care of our brains. Do you want to improve your memory, sharpen your thinking, increase your attention span, and boost your mental energy? Attend this session and learn healthy living tips, step-by-step exercises, recipes, and a thirty-day program for maximizing your brain function and achieving optimal brain health. Synthesizing the cognitive science behind memory, sleep, stress, and addiction Dr. Richard Carmona offers you a guide to caring for your brain, whether you’re approaching your elder years or still in your quarter-life crisis.

Together we will find answers to all your questions, including:

– How your health is affecting your brain;
– What foods to eat and what to avoid;
– Whether or not supplements are necessary;
– What important medical tests to ask your doctor about and;
– How best to challenge your brain.

Personal Development

Offering advice to help you enhance your life, grow and create more positive personal experiences outside of the workplace

Session 1

10:00 am – 11:00 am

How to Use Body Language to Influence Human Behavior and Enhance Your Presence

Effective application of rapport building and people reading skills are essential to succeed in today’s world. Leaders with presence have the ability to influence others through interpersonal relationships, are open to meeting new people, can establish rapport and find a way to connect with others. Award-winning “human lie detector” and communications expert Janine Driver will help you better understand the impact of your non-verbal and verbal communications on others. Through use of her cutting-edge new body language strategies you will learn how to read others hidden emotions and build better relationships to ultimately enhance your presence, improve your business impact and expand your networks both in the workplace and in life.

Speaker:Janine Driver, lie detector expert and New York Times bestselling author, You Can’t Lie to Me

ENCORE: How to Use Body Language to Influence Human Behavior and Enhance Your Presence

Effective application of rapport building and people reading skills are essential to succeed in today’s world. Leaders with presence have the ability to influence others through interpersonal relationships, are open to meeting new people, can establish rapport and find a way to connect with others. Award-winning “human lie detector” and communications expert Janine Driver will help you better understand the impact of your non-verbal and verbal communications on others. Through use of her cutting-edge new body language strategies you will learn how to read others hidden emotions and build better relationships to ultimately enhance your presence, improve your business impact and expand your networks both in the workplace and in life.

In a world that has become increasingly faster-paced, over-connected and with no boundaries, the notion of balance is insane and impossible to achieve. Rather than attempt the impossible, this session will offer a blend of practical advice and inspiration to attain a new equilibrium, redefine your goals and priorities, and try to attain some sanity. Whether you are grappling with motherhood, caring for elderly parents, managing the abyss of a home, or all of the above, this session led by Jaleh Bisharat will offer you some levity, humor, real stories and great tips from real women for managing the day-to-day chaos of life!

How to Become the Social Entrepreneur of Your Life: Doing Well By Doing Good (POE)

Are you passionate about changing the world? Are you looking for ways to channel your innovation and impact change? Are eager to make a difference in your community and around the globe beyond your day job? This session will offer you the practical how-to advice and the inspiration to make your mark and have a positive social impact around the issues and causes close to your heart. Whether you are looking to volunteer or get involved, seeking ways to drive social responsibility within your organization or start a socially entrepreneurial endeavor this session is for you. With pioneers from the front-lines, this dynamic discussion will illustrate the incredibly powerful aggregate social impact that can happen when we all do our part to make the world a better place. Together we will explore how you can:

– Leverage your professional skills and overall strengths to make a difference in the non-profit world;
– Positively affect what is in your own backyard by thinking globally and not just locally;
– Invest in girls to become advocates and change-makers in their communities globally; and
– Become smarter shoppers by supporting organizations who give back as a part of their core mission

Expert Exchange Sessions

3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Expert Exchange sessions provide attendees with the opportunity to gather with peers in a smaller setting to learn from experts. These sessions are discussions focused on sharing best practices and lessons learned around career or personal development topics. In addition to valuable knowledge sharing, they provide a great peer networking opportunity. Expert exchange sessions are designed to be intimate; therefore capacity will not exceed 150 participants. Seating is first-come, first-served, and doors will close once we reach capacity.

Building Meaningful Connections

Having a strong network is a critical element to career success. Yet, most of us do not spend the same amount of time nor build the same type of network as men. This directly impacts our ability to be successful in our roles. Women with a strong network are more likely to ask for help in closing a business deal, and landing a job or new role. Join Marilyn Nagel, CEO of Ready-Aim-Aspire, a transformative coaching company for a workshop to examine, evaluate and develop a plan to enhance your network. This Exchange session includes critical tactics for growing your network and ways to use networking to achieve your personal and professional goals.

Negotiating to Get What You Want

According to Margaret Neale, “Negotiation is not about getting to yes or simply getting an agreement; it’s about getting a good agreement.” Research shows that in many ways, women are wise to think twice before asking: as their negotiation attempts are judged more harshly than those of their male counterparts. Stanford Business Professor Maggie Neale leads this session, clarifying the gendered expectations women face and offering solutions for success. When viewed as problem solving, negotiation moves from being a win-lose game to one of mutual benefit. Neale will highlight cases where women can use negotiation to their advantage. Together you will learn to use insights to help you negotiate and advise others — subordinates and peers — on ways to achieve more of what you (and they) want.

Speaker:Margaret Neale, professor and co-director, Executive Program for Women Leaders, Stanford University

Strategies for Fostering a Global and Diverse Workplace and Team

Bringing together people with unique experiences and backgrounds (especially women and ethnic minorities) drives innovation and helps create cutting edge organizations. This interactive discussion will bring together some of Intel’s leading women to share their personal experiences and Intel’s efforts to advance and progress underrepresented populations within the company and in the technology sector at large. Together we will discuss ways in which our communities can come together to advance representation of all women and ethnic minorities.

Propelling Your Career Growth: Top Tips from Ericsson’s Super Women

Women face unique challenges in the workplace as they advance the ranks – different from their male counterparts. Women also bring very unique skills and invaluable super powers to the leadership table. Meet Ericsson’s super women and learn from their real-life experiences about the key issues they faced at all stages of their career. Drawing on their personal journeys, this dynamic session will focus on understanding self-image, realizing the goal focus, defining the significance of relationships and examining the orientation with your community at each stage of career development. Spanning all generations and skill levels, participants will explore the many extraordinary talents successful women rely on throughout their career and learn how to evolve your Super Powers as your world changes.

Mastering the Art of Endurance and Resiliency: Leadership Tips from Remarkable Women on the Frontline

Whether you sit in a corner office or compete in a professional sport, the rules are often the same. Attend this interactive session and hear from four remarkable women who will share leadership advice and insight gained from decades in their professions. Learn from their first hand experiences how to get the needed edge, endurance and resilience to rise to the top. Don’t miss your chance to hear from the Chair of one of the largest global law firms in the world (and the first female Chair of the 141 year old law firm), the first ever general counsel of a locally based cloud communications company, one of the “top 20 most influential general counsel in America” (and the first woman general counsel of not one – but two – Fortune 500 companies), and an Olympic gold medalist.

Women and Wealth: Establishing a Game Plan that Aligns with What You Value Most

You’re in charge of many things, including your financial future. Your financial success is woven into a larger story: unique web of circumstances, responsibilities and goals. In the “Women and Wealth” expert exchange, we’ll discuss managing for what you value most. This dialogue will provide you with some actionable insights on why financial planning is so critical for women. Attendees are invited to stay for a brief wine and cheese reception at the end of the thought-provoking session.

Inclusive Leadership as a Competitive Advantage

The world of work is changing rapidly, where organizations are global, hyper connected, less hierarchical and ideas can come from anywhere. Great leadership is critical to effectively navigate this ever-evolving landscape, and inclusive leadership has the power to drive competitive advantage. Learn how to leverage your diverse perspective along with those in your organization, to role-model inclusive behaviors and enable collaboration, driving greater employee engagement, innovation and ultimately business impact.

Getting a Seat at the Board Table: Lessons from Women with Experience

While recruitment of women directors inches up and women now comprise nearly 20% of board members, that’s only half the story. Equally important: How are boards leveraging the value of women on their boards? A series of interviews with prominent women directors — undertaken jointly by Korn Ferry and Thomson Reuters — sheds light on the sort of board experiences women seek, conditions that enable women to contribute as great directors, and how boards stand to gain from their contribution. Attend this session to hear from the leaders who collaborated on this study and understand what this means for you. We will also share real-life anecdotes from successful executives and sitting board members so you can learn from their successes and lessons.

“That’s so YOU!” Ever wonder what your personal brand says about you? Do you have an action plan on how to create a brand that will help you further your career? Attend this session and learn from brand coaches and women with their own stories and brands to determine what you can do to strengthen your brand! The panelists will represent generational perspectives from their 20’s, 30’s, 40’s and 50’s. Together we will explore practical tools and action plans that will help you create a brand that will get you where you want to go!

LOCAL LEADER MEET-UPS

Take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to get one-on-one advice from some of the Bay Area’s leading women by asking a question about your career and community. Local Leaders will be available to meet in the exhibit hall within the community corner during designated networking breaks. You do not need to sign up in advance – first-come-first served and we have plenty of time to get your questions answered!

SMALL BUSINESS ROUNDTABLES

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Led by an expert facilitator, roundtables offer an informal and intimate setting to share best practices around a focused and specific social media topic. Roundtables are discussion based and will not feature a formal presentation. We encourage attendees to come with questions. Each roundtable will be offered a total of three times to allow attendees the opportunity to participate in multiple discussions on different topics.

Lean Startup methods, as laid out in Eric Ries’s best-selling 2011 book, The Lean Startup, have changed not only the way entrepreneurs work, but the way forward-looking organizations in all sectors around the globe build new products and services. Join Sarah Milstein, CEO of Lean Startup Productions to learn how you too can use these techniques in your business, non-profit, government agency or entrepreneurial venture to unlock innovation.

Speaker:Sarah Milstein, CEO and cofounder, Lean Startup Productions and coauthor, The Twitter Book

Roundtable 2: Social Entrepreneurism: Building a Business Model that Gives Back

Before Social Entrepreneurship was a recognized phrase, the locally-based Fair Trade USA launched their program to help farmers and workers achieve a more equitable global trade model, by certifying and promoting their products. Today, the social entrepreneurism wave is well under way, causing lots of Gen X and Gen Y entrepreneurs to think about business in ways to give back to the greater community. Heather Franzese, who worked with Fair Trade and now leads Good World Solutions, a sister organization focused on mobile technology, will spearhead this discussion and offer practical how-to advice and inspiration for building a business model that makes money and also has a positive social impact and return to society. Attendees will learn how to select a cause that is relevant and aligns with your passion and bow to identify partnerships and collaborations critical to developing a business model and achieving success.

Roundtable 3: Customer-Focused Product Design

If you want to create products that customers LOVE, you need to include them in your design and innovation process. Attend this interactive session to find ways to improve your existing process to make it more customer focused – from observing your customers to solving the right problems and being open to new ideas. Join Margret Schmidt, who won an Emmy® Award for Outstanding Achievement in Interactive Television, and was named one of the Most Powerful Women in Cable (Top Women in Technology) in 2010, 2011, 2012, and for an enlightening session with unique insights and advice.

Roundtable 4: Scaling Your Business

Getting your business up and running is a big hurdle. Taking your business to the next level is the next step. Learn practical advice for scaling your business, from Debra Chrapaty, named Top 100 Leaders for the Next Millennium by CIO Magazine. Debra brings her experience working as a senior executive and advisor with high tech’s largest companies (Microsoft, Cisco, Sun Microsystems) as well as key newer players (Declara, Nirvanix, Zynga). Attend this roundtable to learn practical advice for scaling your business and identifying the key next steps for achieving growth!

Roundtable 5: Crowdfunding Your New Venture

Starting a business is hard work, and financing is one of the first steps in the process. This roundtable will explore types of funding and how to use crowdfunding in particular. Attendees will explore the fundamentals of funding; understand what options are available; identify the key considerations for raising capital; and learn how to market to attract crowdfunders, thereby reducing market and execution risk. You will walk away with a solid understanding of the various options available and what is best for your business and your unique situation.

Roundtable 6: How to Get Your Customers to Rave About You Online

With 95% of consumers turning to the internet to find local businesses, and many of them turning to review sites like Yelp, there’s no question that receiving a positive online review gives small business owners the stamp of approval they need. In this roundtable, Morgan Remmers will share how today’s consumers are using online reviews and how small business owners can effectively market their business both online and offline to generate the positive buzz they desire.

Researchers and engineers have developed an incredible product or service and now you need to take it to the customer. How do you start? What do you think about? Who do you need to connect with? How do you get the organization on-board? Learn how you can be successful and join Stephanie Brendel as she offers answers to these questions and shares best practices and lessons learned from her work at start-ups through Fortune 50.

Roundtable 8: Build Your Reach Using Community-Driven Marketing

Community-driven and community-building marketing are the latest and fastest ways to organize change. Women 2.0 is a leader in the field, gaining global traction in a short time period. Join Jin Zhou, programs manager to learn her tried and true tactics to successfully community-build and create a platform for engagement. She’ll share how to get started, how to turn things around, which media to use and the tricks for online messaging to get others to engage.

SOCIAL MEDIA ROUNDTABLES

3:00 PM - 5:00 PM

Led by an expert facilitator, roundtables offer an informal and intimate setting to share best practices around a focused and specific social media topic. Roundtables are discussion based and will not feature a formal presentation. We encourage attendees to come with questions. Each roundtable will be offered a total of three times to allow attendees the opportunity to participate in multiple discussions on different topics.

Roundtable 1: Social Media Strategy: Top Tips for Creating a Sustainable Digital Presence

Building a strong digital identity and brand requires developing smart goals and a strategic plan for expanding your platform and business outreach online to offline. This roundtable will focus on key principles and tactics required for creating, curating and maintaining a strong and sustainable digital presence. We will outline how to craft a realistic plan, taking into account audience/market, budget and available time.

Roundtable 2: How to Break Through the Noise: Gaining and Maintaining Influence on Twitter

Finding your voice and making it heard can be difficult on Twitter, which can easily become an endless stream of noise. This discussion will explore why and how Twitter is relevant for you and your business, and how you can stand out. We’ll also discuss how tools like lists and TweetDeck can help keep you on top of your Twitter game, as well as the power of the [email protected][username].

The key to career longevity and the ability to find rewarding new challenges is treating yourself as a brand – that is, communicating the skills, values and interests you offer to the people and organizations who could benefit from those talents. This interactive roundtable discussion will explore the powerful ways in which social media networks can help establish your personal brand and invigorate your contact network. Together we will explore how to utilize Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Blogs to build your brand.

Roundtable 4: How to Maximize Social Media to Enable Your Life’s Objectives Professionally and Personally

Social media has become part of our everyday communications. Checking your newsfeed or profile page is as normal as checking email or text. It provides a powerful and transformational communications platform that has broken down location barriers, increased knowledge sharing and helped generate stronger personal and professional connections. But with many people, social media also generates hesitations, concerns and uncertainty around what to say, why and where, particularly when it pertains to business. It shouldn’t feel forced or unnatural; it’s merely an extension of your persona and your life. Your social media profile should reflect and amplify your unique, authentic and individual self. Join this roundtable for an open and engaging conversation around how to best use social networks and social media to enhance your life—both professionally and personally—and help enable your individual life objectives.

Roundtable 5: Humanizing Your Brand through Social Media

How do you build brand trust? This is where social media comes to the rescue. By learning how to humanize your brand through social media, you can turn your followers into trusting brand advocates, all while staying true to your brand identity. In this round table, you’ll learn some tips and tricks on how to humanize your brand across various social media platforms, to build a strong following of brand advocates, along with a recognizable brand.

Roundtable 6: The Secret to Connecting With Your Social Media Audience

In a world of information overload and shortening attention spans, how can you ensure that your brand’s social media content stands out and resonates with your audience? Hear best practices and tips from digital strategist Susan Chang, and learn how to create relevant and authentic content that cuts through the clutter that inundates Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.